Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Twitch switches to new advertising model in move to curb ad blocking

Danny Cowan
By

twitch switching to new ad model curb blocking xbotwitch header
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Gaming-focused streaming service Twitch is adopting a new advertising approach that will “reduce the efficacy” of ad blockers while ensuring a broader reach and more consistent delivery for advertisers.

Twitch product marketer Robin Fontaine notes that the service’s newly introduced SureStream technology “will allow us to improve the video advertising experience for viewers and partners, improve ad deliverability by reducing the impact of third party services that bypass ads, and increase the advertising revenue pool available for partners.”

Recommended Videos

The platform’s upcoming move to SureStream technology will also allow Twitch to serve its own ads without relying on third-party providers, according to a Variety report.

Related

Launched in 2011, Twitch.tv is a free streaming service that allows gamers to broadcast live gameplay footage to crowds of digital spectators. The service relies on a video advertising model for support, and members frequently see pre-roll ads when loading up new streams. Partnered streamers are also given the option to run video ads at whim, and are entitled to a cut of the profits.

According to Twitch, SureStream technology stands to benefit partnered streamers while making the platform more attractive for advertisers by reducing the likelihood of automated ad blocking. The Verge likens the approach to the advertising strategy previously adopted by Facebook, which confuses ad blockers into thinking that ads are part of a given site’s non-advertising content.

“Advertising is a crucial piece of the Twitch economy that helps support our creators. But we know it can be better,” Twitch’s Fontaine said. “Today we’re taking a big next step by starting a gradual rollout of SureStream, new video technology that brings more of the ad delivery experience under our control so that we can optimize it in ways that benefit the entire community.”

Twitch acknowledges the widespread use of ad blockers among its user base, and notes that members are still free to use such software if they wish. It’s clear, however, that Twitch is aiming to reduce the efficacy of browser add-ons and extensions that are specifically designed to eliminate ads.

“We are well aware that many dedicated Twitch viewers use software that bypasses ads, and the rollout of this technology will reduce the efficacy of such software,” Fontaine explains. “As a company we are agnostic when it comes to the use of this software. You are free to use it, or not, as you see fit. We invested in SureStream because it helps us provide the best experience possible for the whole of the Twitch community.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Danny Cowan
Danny Cowan
Contributor
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
How to start the Nuka-World DLC in Fallout 4
People standing outside Nuka World.

The first major DLC expansion for Fallout 4 lets players go to the abandoned amusement park called Nuka-World. While there's plenty of fun and excitement to be had here, don't expect it to come from the roller coasters or carnival games since this park is the battleground between rival raider gangs. This new zone adds a ton of new quests and side activities to the base experience, but it isn't as simple to get to as a real theme park. Don't worry if your Pip-Boy isn't helping you get to Nuka-World -- we'll show you how to start this DLC.

Read more
How to start the Automatron DLC in Fallout 4
A man and a robot walking in the wastelands in Fallout 4.

Each piece of Fallout 4 DLC adds something substantial to the base experience. In the case of the Automatron expansion, an entire new questline pitting you against a robot army led by a figure known as the Mechanist. Starting it isn't as difficult as starting other DLCs like the Nuka-World expansion, but it-s still a bit cryptic. Buying the DLC doesn't automatically make it apparent how to actually start this new adventure, but we'll give you specific directions to find it in the wasteland.

Read more
One of 2023’s best indie games is getting a movie starring LaKeith Stanfield
James descends on an elevator in El Paso, Elsewhere.

El Paso, Elsewhere, one of Digital Trends' favorite indie games of 2023, now has a film adaptation in the works.

Variety reports that LaKeith Stanfield -- an actor known for his work in films like Judas and the Black Messiah, Knives Out, and Haunted Mansion, as well as TV shows like Atlanta -- is going to star in and produce the film. The adaptation is in the works at Di Bonaventure Pictures, the production company behind the Transformers, G.I. Joe, and The Meg film franchises. Little else is known about the film at this time, although we'd presume it will be a fairly direct adaptation of this intense story-driven game.

Read more